Meier, Linda R.
Abstract/Contents
- Abstract
- In this oral history, Linda Meier, a Stanford University alumna, former trustee, and a dedicated university leader and benefactor, provides anecdotal details and reflections on some of the iconic Stanford fundraising and outreach events that she spearheaded. She also discusses her student days at Stanford, the essential elements of her career in philanthropy and fundraising, and lessons learned during a lifetime committed to volunteer leadership. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Meier credits her interest in volunteerism to her parents, her study of sociology at Stanford, her strong motivation, and a desire to make an impact. In high school, she volunteered at inner-city camps and became involved in student government and the honor society. As a young mother, Meier volunteered with the Junior League, as well as with her children’s schools and extracurricular activities. Meier’s first major engagement with Stanford was in the formation and growth of the Cardinal Club, a group devoted to funding scholarships for women athletes. She describes the hurdles the group overcame, its innovative and successful fundraising events, and the strong impact it made. Meier describes other fundraising and outreach efforts in which she worked alongside some of the most important leaders in Stanford history, serving as either the chair or co-chair of events and programs. Such engagements include the 100th Big Game auction, the Centennial Campaign, the Stanford Challenge, and the Campaign for Undergraduate Education. She also describes her service on the Stanford Athletic Board, the boards of the Stanford University Hospital and the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford, and the Stanford University Board of Trustees. Through these experiences, Meier developed the concept of “friend raising,” essentially deepening the awareness and enthusiasm of alumni and volunteers around the world. She proved the positive connection between “friend raising” and fundraising, through such programs as Leading Matters, Think Again, and Humanities Forum. In addition, former colleagues recruited Meier to serve on the boards of local organizations, where for many years she was often a board’s only female member. Some of these enterprises include University National Bank and Trust, California Water Service Company, and the Peninsula Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired now called Vista. Meier built a reputation for producing successful events, creating a reliable constituency, and bringing women into leading advisory roles. Meier comments that particularly challenging experiences, such as the Buck Club’s resistance to the Cardinal Club, lead to the best opportunities to be creative and have the most impact. She also deems it essential to choose strong personalities to work on purposeful ventures, in order to be successful. Meier credits the university presidents, provosts, the administrative personnel in the Alumni Association and Development Office, as well as her fellow volunteers, for the opportunities she was afforded. She feels privileged to have worked on great causes with such dedicated people over the course of her career.
Description
Type of resource | mixed material |
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Date created | April 6, 2016 - April 12, 2016 |
Creators/Contributors
Author | Meier, Linda R. | |
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Contributing author | Earl, Marie | |
Publisher | Stanford Historical Society |
Subjects
Subject | Linda Meier |
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Subject | Stanford Historical Society |
Subject | oral histories |
Subject | interviews |
Subject | higher education |
Subject | Stanford University > Cardinal Club |
Subject | Stanford University > Board of Trustees |
Subject | Stanford University > Finance |
Subject | Stanford University > Stanford Challenge |
Subject | universities and colleges > fundraising |
Subject | volunteers |
Subject | Stanford University Hospital |
Bibliographic information
Related item |
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Location | https://purl.stanford.edu/zp621wz4580 |
Access conditions
- Use and reproduction
- The materials are open for research use and may be used freely for non-commercial purposes with an attribution. For commercial permission requests, please contact the Stanford University Archives (universityarchives@stanford.edu).
- Copyright
- Copyright © The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University. All rights reserved.
Preferred citation
- Preferred Citation
Meier, Linda R. (2016). Oral
History. Stanford Historical Society Oral History Program Interviews (SC0932). Department of
Special Collections & University Archives, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford,
Calif. Available at: https://purl.stanford.edu/zp621wz4580
Collection
Stanford Historical Society Oral History Program interviews, 1999-2022
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- Contact
- archivesref@stanford.edu
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